Anthony Pettis wants performance to set him apart from peers

The UFC’s pool of lightweight talent has long been labeled as one of the promotion’s deepest and rightfully so, boasting many of the organization’s most polished pugilists and a constant stream of contenders with championship potential. One such athlete is Anthony Pettis, a 26-year old owning a 16-2 mark who will challenge for Benson Henderson’s title at the end of this month. However, Pettis is out to change the public’s perception of his division, at least when it comes to the man standing at the top of the heap.

In a recent interview with MMAFightCorner, Pettis acknowledged he swims with sharks on a regular basis but is confident he will eventually emerge as an apex predator in the Octagon.

“You see a lot of champions becoming point fighters. These guys want to keep their belts and there’s two sides of that story. Every challenger is very talented. Look at the lightweight division, everybody there is very well matched. It’s going to take a factor to change that to have somebody dominate these fights. That’s what I’m looking to do,” explained Pettis. “I want be the guy that goes out there and gives the fans a show. That’s what it’s all about at the end of the day.”

“You’ve got so many fight fans and so many fighters, but I like to be that guy that fight fans want to watch because they don’t know what’s going to happen. I strive to be that different fighter and set myself apart from the group,” he concluded.

Pettis has finished all but three of the opponents he’s beaten and is known for his flashiness with no move more memorable thus far in his career than the “Showtime Kick” he landed in a 2010 tilt with Henderson. Their upcoming rematch will headline UFC 164 on August 31 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.